The Carnival Game Incentive
by Angelic Guardian
Summary: A day at the carnival brings out Sheldon's competitive side. Oneshot. Shamy, Lenny, Howard/Bernadette and lonely Raj.


**Author's Note: **Just a fun oneshot with the whole gang, although Shamy is the focus, of course. ;)

**Disclaimer:** The Big Bang Theory © Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady

* * *

Penny was the one to suggest the idea of spending a day at the carnival.

"It's in town this weekend," she said excitedly, holding up the bright blue flier she'd found stuck to her windshield. "We should all go together. It'll be like a group date!"

Leonard was the first to sound off on the protests. "I don't know," he said as he eyed the flier from where he sat in the beige armchair. The displeased look on Penny's face went completely over his head as he elaborated, "Everything at carnivals is always so overpriced. I'm not really such a fan of the food, either. Plus, you know I don't do so well with rides."

_"You_ don't do well with rides?" Howard scoffed. "Don't even get me started. What with all the height restrictions, the only ride Bernie and I can ever go on is the freaking carousel."

"Or the teacups," Bernadette said. "Although Howie refuses to go on them with me anymore because apparently he gets too _dizzy."_

"You spun the damn thing like a dreidel!" Howard snapped at his wife.

"Ooh," Bernadette said, holding up her hands, "Mr. I-Went-to-Space couldn't handle a ride designed for six-year-old _girls."_

Howard petulantly folded his arms over his chest, although he didn't bother to retort, as there really wasn't any redeeming comment he could've made.

"I think I'd rather skip it, too," Raj said. "I'll be all by myself while you guys are off doing your lovey-dovey couples crap, and Sheldon and Amy are off doing…whatever the hell it is they do."

"Excuse me," Sheldon finally chimed in. "Just what exactly do you mean by that? That Amy and I are incapable of being a 'lovey-dovey' couple?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Raj deadpanned.

Sheldon paused a moment. "Well, all right," he said, satisfied, while Amy, sitting beside him, rolled her eyes. The exasperated gesture went unacknowledged by Sheldon, who rose from his spot and tucked his hands behind his back. "In any case, if we're putting this carnival excursion to a vote, I'd like to cast mine now by stating that I'm in favor of going."

"You are?" Amy asked in absolute disbelief, staring up at him incredulously.

He met her eyes, cocking a sly smirk at her. "Of course," he said, and lifted his head to address the whole room again. "The fried foods, the whimsical rides… Frankly, aside from the crowds, carnivals were one of the select things I actually enjoyed about the outdoors when I was a child."

"Yes, thank you, _finally _ somebody's on board! Even if that somebody is Sheldon," Penny said, to which Sheldon threw her a glare, which she ignored as she focused on bringing the rest of the group on board. "Come on, guys, there are fun games and stuff, too," she said, and pointed to the flier. "Plus, fireworks!"

"Ooh, I do like those," Howard said, putting a hand to his chin to think for a moment, only to throw his hand up with a shrug. "What the hell, I'll go."

"Me too," Bernadette said, smiling.

"And me," Amy said.

Leonard released a sigh. "Fine," he said begrudgingly. "I'll go, too."

Now, the six of them all looked at Raj, the lone remainder. He stared back at them, brown eyes bouncing from one person to the next, taking in their eager looks. Finally, he heaved a sigh.

"Okay," he said, "I'm in. But none of you can complain if I want to tag along on a ride and kill any opportunity for a romantic moment."

"In that case, you should just stick with Sheldon and me," Amy said. "We are, after all, the least affectionate couple there is. Right, Sheldon?"

Sheldon blinked, looking down at Amy, a troubling feeling hitting him. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it managed to squelch any fiery comment he would have had, leaving him only to respond with a weak, "Right."

* * *

The enticing aroma of sugary cotton candy and buttery popcorn wafted through the air, and the sound of laughing children and whirling mechanical rides served as a backdrop to the excitement and joy that lay ahead of them.

"Mw'oh mw'y _Gw'od," _Leonard moaned through a mouthful of fried dough and powdered sugar.

"I can't believe you've never had a Zeppole before," Penny said, an arm linked around him, watching as he stuffed his face with the treat. "Let me get one."

_"No," _Leonard said, jerking his hand away as Penny reached out to grab one. He clutched the white paper bag that contained the precious fried food, holding it protectively to his chest. Penny stared at him, awestruck, as he chewed for a moment. He then swallowed, looking down timidly as he relaxed the iron grip he had on the bag. "I meant, uh, I'll buy you your own. C'mon, let's go get some more. Right now. Maybe a dozen."

"Forget it, I'm actually not that hungr—_AHH!"_ she shrieked as Leonard tugged her in the opposite direction, making a beeline for the Zeppole booth with a surprising amount of speed. Penny managed to look over her shoulder and call out, "We'll catch up with you guys later!"

Bernadette gave her a small wave, before turning to her husband. "So, what do you think, Howie, should we even bother embarrassing ourselves by waiting on line for a ride, only to get rejected for not being tall enough, or should we just stick to the games?"

"I guess we could stick to the games," Howard said. "As long as you promise not to get super competitive and start gloating every time you happen to beat someone."

"Hey, I can't help it if everyone else sucks!" Bernadette said defensively. "Besides, I _thrive_ off the jealousy of dumb little kids! Remember that little red-headed girl who started crying like a baby after I won that stuffed unicorn and totally rubbed it in her face?" She smirked wickedly at the memory. "She was such a sore loser."

"Yeah," Howard said slowly, trying his best to hide his distaste, let alone deep concern at this frighteningly evil side to her. "Maybe this time you could spare the feelings of innocent children and tone down the insults a little bit, or—"

"Watch out, you snotty little brats, Bernie's coming to take you down!" she said, breaking away from him.

"Or…not," Howard muttered, watching his wife angrily push her way through the crowd and nearly knock over a pair of little kids passing by. He stood there, uselessly, finding himself genuinely torn over whether he should even follow her.

"You know, dude, I _did_ see bumper cars on the way in," Raj said.

That was all Howard needed to hear. "Let's go," he said, immediately turning away and heading in the opposite direction with an eager Raj in tow.

"So much for this being a fun group outing," Amy said bitterly after the two of them were gone. She stared out at the merriment before her—loving couples of varying ages holding hands, kids excitedly waiting in line for the more dangerous rides—and she let out a sigh. So far, this day at the carnival was proving to be a dud.

"I'm personally glad they're all gone," Sheldon said. "Now you and I can have some alone time."

"Yeah… Wait, _what?" _Amy said, sharply turning to gawk at him with a stunned expression on her face. The calm and cool demeanor she was met with from Sheldon only stirred up her suspicions, urging her to press for some much-needed clarification. "What on earth do you mean by 'alone time?' Since when do you ever want to have 'alone time' with me?"

Sheldon's eyebrows wrinkled together, a crack in his otherwise composed exterior. "What are you talking about?" he asked, and Amy, even in her state of utter confusion, managed to detect a touch of hurt in his voice. "You're my girlfriend. Why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?"

Amy paused, taking a moment to consider his words. She realized that she possibly was overreacting for no reason at all, so she willed herself to reign in her shock. Although, it was still lying low within her, ready to erupt again at any given moment.

"I…don't know," she said. "I guess I'm just not used to hearing you say things like that."

"Well, we have the whole day ahead of us," Sheldon said. "Which ride would you like to go on first?"

"You're asking _me?"_ Amy asked, the surprise spilling out of her once more. She paused again, forcing herself to reel it in and bite her tongue from asking, _"What's the catch here?"_

As Sheldon patiently waited for her to respond, Amy finally decided not to dwell on the matter for now. Instead, she would simply accept this bizarre moment of submissiveness that Sheldon was, for whatever reason, giving her. She gave him a soft, almost shy smile as she said, "I _would_ like to go on the Ferris wheel."_  
_

Sheldon nodded and, with that, began to lead the way. Amy followed him in a daze as they drifted through the crowd and headed towards the Ferris wheel. When she felt something graze her hand, her heart jumped, and she glanced down in a panic, only to see that it was Sheldon, reaching for her hand. Her mouth dropped open, though she didn't say a word, but watched in amazement as his hand slipped around hers, holding it in a secure grasp.

_He's holding my hand,_ she thought wildly. _This is too good to be true. _

And, sure enough, it all came to its inevitable end just moments later.

"You, sir, care to try to win a prize for your lady?"

Sheldon stopped mid-stride, turning to a man with an overly friendly smile on his rosy face. He was standing inside one of the game booths with milk bottles behind him and a collection of vibrant stuffed animals hanging above him.

"Ah, yes," Sheldon said, "the classic ball toss game in which the objective is to knock over empty milk bottles in order to win a cheap prize. I hope you know that I find it insulting that you'd automatically take me for some ignorant sap who's willing to cough up money to play some rigged game for the sake of proving my 'manly worth' to my girlfriend. You ought to be ashamed that you're running such a dishonest game. Do you really think I don't know that one of the milk bottles is heavier than all the others, thus making it impossible to successfully knock them all over with those flimsy plastic balls? You've got a lot of nerve, you know that?"

"My, you're a mouthy fellow, aren't you?" the game attendant asked, cocking a thick eyebrow. "If you really believe that the game is rigged, there's only one way to find out for sure, don't you think?"

Sheldon narrowed his eyes, and right at that moment, Amy deflated. She knew she'd lost him, and it only became apparent when he dropped her hand and walked straight to the booth, taking out his wallet. Amy sighed heavily, strolling over to join his side.

"Sheldon, you don't have to do this," Amy said, knowing it was useless, as Sheldon was now exchanging his cash for three balls.

He gave her a glance, a hardened look in his eyes, completely chilling over the lingering warmth from the all-too brief moment of unexpected public hand holding. Sheldon picked up one of the plastic balls, holding it up to examine it.

"I know I don't _have _to, Amy," he said. "I'm doing it to prove a point."

"And that would be?" she asked, her eyes following the ball as he tossed it up in the air and caught it firmly in his hand. She looked back at him in time to catch his penetrating gaze.

"That anyone who dares to challenge Sheldon Cooper will ultimately feel sorry after I inevitably win, thus making _them _look like the fool."

"Right," Amy said dryly. "Of course."

She was met with one last stern look from Sheldon, before he finally directed his gaze at his target. The skin around his eyes crinkled slightly as he narrowed his eyes in concentration, a look that, despite everything, suddenly awakened Amy's interest. She watched intently as he wound the ball behind his back, heaved it with all his might, and—

_Tink._

The ball tapped one of the bottles and landed on the ground. A sharp giggle involuntarily burst from Amy's lips, and she immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, mortified, but the damage was done. Sheldon looked at her with widened eyes, and heat flooded to her cheeks as she dropped her hand.

"I'm so sorry, Sheldon," she said. "I didn't mean to laugh. Honestly."

"But you did. Clearly, the lady's unimpressed," the game attendant not so helpfully said, his once friendly smile looking much more manipulative now. Amy gave him a glare, but Sheldon was already picking up another ball.

"Sheldon, you don't need to prove anythi—"

"Quiet. I need to concentrate," Sheldon said stiffly, leaving Amy to close her mouth with a frown. He wound the ball behind him and hurled it. This time, it sailed right past the bottles and bounced against the wall. Amy forced herself to bite her lip when Sheldon looked over at her, another stern look on his face. Finally, he picked up the last ball, held it up to his eyes and threw it. The ball whipped through the air, at last knocking the top bottle clean off.

"Ooh. Sorry, but one bottle's not good enough," the game attendant said. "Care to give it another try? Or are you not man enough?"

"Sheldon, please don't let this guy get under your skin," Amy said.

"Believe me, Amy, Sheldon Cooper is no sucker," he said, which brought her a sense of relief.

"Good," she said.

"That being said, Mary Cooper sure as heck didn't raise her boy to be no quitter," Sheldon said with a subtle Texan drawl, and he promptly took out his wallet and slammed down more money.

Amy threw her eyes up to the sky. This was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

"I feel sick," Leonard whined, clutching his stomach in agony.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't scarfed down twelve Zeppoles in less than five minutes, you wouldn't have such a bad tummy ache," Penny said unsympathetically, while Leonard closed his eyes and scrunched his face up in pain. Penny rubbed his back soothingly as the two of them walked together. "Listen, if you feel like you're gonna puke, just say the word, and I'll hold your hair back for you."

"Your jokes are _hurtful," _Leonard said, hunching over.

"Whoa, what the hell happened to you?" Howard asked, approaching the two of them with Raj in tow. "Did someone knee you in the crotch? Was it Penny?"

"That's not cool, Penny," Raj said.

"Relax. Nobody kneed him in the crotch," Penny said. "He just overate, and now his stomach's killing him."

"Aww. Want me to rub your belly to make you feel better?" Raj asked, to which Leonard, despite his turmoil, managed to look up at him and stare at him as though he were crazy, a look he usually reserved for Sheldon.

Just then, a somber-looking Amy came strolling up to join the four of them.

"Hi," she said miserably.

"Ames, what's wrong?" Penny asked.

"I just watched Sheldon fail to knock over empty glass bottles eighteen times in a row," she said. "I couldn't take it anymore. He refused to leave, so I left without him."

"That's rough," Raj said.

"Did you happen to run into Bernadette on your way over here?" Howard asked.

"No," Amy said. "Why?"

* * *

Bernadette was carrying her weight in stuffed animals. She had a stuffed panda tucked under one arm, a stuffed lion in the other, a pink pony clutched to her chest, a penguin and a parrot on either side of it, and, the largest of them all, a giant green stuffed alligator draped around her shoulders, its felt white teeth pointing near her ear, its tail hanging off the other side.

"MOVE IT OR LOSE IT," she shouted, scaring a group of middle school aged children, who quickly scattered, giving her room to pass. She stomped her way through the crowd, trying to keep her head up with the weight of the stuffed reptile slowing her down. Her face suddenly brightened when she saw a familiar face. "Hi, Sheldon!"

"Hello," he said, eyeing her collection of stuffed toys while he, himself, was still empty-handed after twenty-seven consecutive failed tries at the ball toss game. "Did you win all of those yourself?"

"Sure did," she said proudly.

"Which games did you play?" Sheldon asked. "Just—out of curiosity."

"Well, let's see… I won this pink pony at that water squirting game," Bernadette said. "It's actually one of my favorite games, because you get to battle other people, and let me tell you, seeing the disappointed looks on everyone else's faces when you win only sweetens the victory."

"Is it…easy to win on the first try?" Sheldon asked.

"Oh, absolutely," Bernadette said. "The trick is that you've got to be the first one to press your button on your squirt gun. As long as you do that, you'll win, easy."

"Hmm," Sheldon said, staring at the stuffed pink horse.

* * *

"She's not answering her phone," Howard said with a frown, staring down at his phone after attempting to call Bernadette twice.

The five of them sat at a wooden table near the tents that sold all the food. Leonard was still nursing his upset stomach, his head resting against the table and a can of seltzer sitting in front of him. Penny sat beside him, running her palm over his back in a circular motion. Amy had her elbow propped against the table and her cheek resting in her palm, a bored look on her face. Then there was Raj, who was happily munching on a pickle.

"Oh my goodness," he said. "This thing is so unbelievably juicy. I swear, I could suck on it all day long."

All eyes turned to him. Even Leonard lifted his head to stare at him. He looked around, not understanding why they were all looking at him like that, only to shrug it off and take another bite out of his delicious pickle.

"Wait a minute," Penny said. "I think I see Bernadette."

"Where?" Howard said, turning his head to look over his shoulder, only to see none other than his wife, juggling half a dozen stuffed animals in her arms. He let out a deep sigh as she stuck her small hand out between a gap of neon pink and green fur and waved awkwardly.

"Oh, my," Amy said.

"You don't know the half of it," Howard said to her, only to slap on a huge smile and stand up as Bernadette reached them. "Someone's been having fun."

"And I didn't lose a single game," she said, a broad smile on her face as well. "Oh, by the way, Amy, I ran into Sheldon just now. He said he'll be back just as soon as he wins the water gun game."

"Well, in that case, it looks like I'm going to have a lot of time to kill," Amy said.

* * *

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I believe this water gun is defective," Sheldon said to the female game attendant who was busy handing a stuffed prize to a preadolescent boy with curly hair.

"I don't think so," she said, loudly smacking a piece of chewing gum that irritated Sheldon to an entirely new degree.

"I assure you, I hit my trigger before everyone else, and yet I haven't won a single game," Sheldon said calmly, despite his dwindling patience.

"Maybe it's because you _suck,"_ the preadolsecent boy snidely remarked, letting out a chuckle as he hugged his new plush frog.

"Excuse me," Sheldon said, appalled. "There's no need to be rude. Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

"We sure didn't!" said a smiling man with black hair, his arm wrapped around a blonde woman's shoulders. He reached out with his free hand and ruffled his son's hair. "Good job, buddy!"

"Thanks, Dad," the boy said.

Sheldon stood, silently brooding, as he watched the happy family moment. With a flash of anger striking within him, he turned and stalked off, prepared to put an end to his losing streak once and for all.

* * *

"I'm glad you're feeling better, sweetie," Penny said to Leonard, whose color had finally returned to his previously pale cheeks.

"Not as glad as I am," Leonard said, walking upright with Penny's arm linked around him, his stomach thankfully no longer in pain.

Penny smiled, turning to the group. "So, which of you ladies wants to go on The Sizzler with me?"

"What the hell?" Howard said, offended.

"Just because I like to deep condition doesn't make me a lady!" Raj said.

"Uhhh, I was talking to Bernadette and Amy, but…" Penny shrugged, while said women looked like they were about to burst out in laughter, both failing to hide their amused smiles.

Howard and Raj shared a glance, before simultaneously looking away.

"We knew that," Howard said.

"Totally," Raj said.

"Yeah, sure," said a newly hands-free Bernadette, who'd taken a quick trip to the car to dispose of her stuffed animals. "I'm pretty sure you only have to be four feet tall to go on that ride, so I'm in."

"Me too," Amy said.

"All right, awesome. See you _girls_ later," Penny said cheekily, dropping Leonard's arm to join Amy and Bernadette.

The three women headed off together, leaving the three men to fend for themselves. They all looked at each other, unsure what to do with themselves now.

"Want to go on the carousel?" Raj asked.

* * *

Penny, Amy and Bernadette all had bright, dizzying smiles on their faces after stepping off The Sizzler together.

"My head's still spinning," Bernadette giggled.

"That ride never gets old," Penny said.

"It was a blast," Amy said, yet, as she looked out at the sea of people in the crowd, her smile slipped, and a crushing feeling bore down on her, one that caused her once bouncing stride to slow down to a sluggish walk.

Upon noticing this, Penny and Bernadette shared a worried glance.

"Do you want us to help you find him, Amy?" Bernadette asked, voice soft and sympathetic.

Amy looked at her, her cheeks warming unexpectedly. "No, it's okay," she said in spite of herself. "It's just frustrating. I feel like I should be used to this by now."

"You shouldn't have to put up with his crap," Penny said in her own attempt to cheer Amy up.

"Believe it or not, the day actually started off really well," Amy said. "He was being really sweet…almost _too_ sweet, which, of course, didn't last long. He found his distraction with all the games. It's like the trip to Napa Valley all over again."

"But, as I recall, that night turned out to be _pretty _darn special for the two of you," Bernadette said, a sly grin on her face that only fueled the blush on Amy's cheeks.

"Look, Amy, you know how Sheldon is," Penny said. "He cares about you a lot. He's just got a super weird way of showing it."

"Yeah…" Amy said distractedly, as she couldn't help staring off into the crowd again.

* * *

"I'd just like to point out that popping balloons with darts is hardly a commendable way to test one's skill," Sheldon said to the young game attendant, who was busy counting up the dollar bills Sheldon had spent in his attempt to win, again to no avail.

"Tell it to someone who cares, dude," the young man said without even bothering to look up.

Sheldon walked away in a huff. He'd gone through the entire line of games that tested one's aim, accuracy, hand-eye coordination and strength, only to come up empty-handed after every single one. Despite all the time he'd wasted and accumulated money he'd spent playing these games, he had absolutely nothing to show for it, and that made him feel like a fool.

He kicked at the ground, trudging along. The sun was starting to set, filling the sky with a warm pink hue. This day hadn't gone at all as he'd hoped. He was almost scared to face Amy now, as he knew she'd be upset with him for abandoning her all day. He didn't know how he would make it up to her. He'd never felt so inadequate and worthless.

"Hello, there, sir," a bright-eyed woman said, catching Sheldon's attention. She stood behind yet another dreaded game booth, a colorful wheel beside her. "Feeling lucky today?"

* * *

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I enjoyed the crap out of riding that carousel," Raj said, walking with Howard and Leonard.

"Well, don't worry, I've got enough shame to go around for the both of us," Howard said, to which Leonard simply smiled.

The three of them walked for a while until they met up with the girls again, at which point Bernadette slipped right into her husband's arms, affectionately nuzzling her head against his shoulder.

"I was thinking," she said. "How about you and I go on the Ferris wheel together?"

"Well, I know another ride I'd rather go on, but it'll have to wait 'til we get home," Howard said suggestively, pulling her in for a quick kiss.

"Wait for us," Penny said, hooking her arm around Leonard.

"Don't forget about me," Raj said. "I'm squeezing in with one of you guys whether you like it or not."

"Well, wait, what about…" Penny started, trailing off to look at Amy, who quickly held up her hands.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'd honestly rather sit this one out."

"Are you sure?" Bernadette asked.

"Yes," Amy said. "I'll catch up with you guys afterward. Don't worry about me."

Everyone's eyes lingered on her for a moment, but finally, they all turned to leave, leisurely heading towards the large, brilliantly lit Ferris wheel.

Amy turned in the opposite direction, walking away with no destination in mind. The sun had dipped lower in the sky, bringing forth a slight chill and a calming air. She genuinely did appreciate their concern for her, but it didn't change the fact that there was only one person with whom she wanted to go on that ride, and he was nowhere to be found.

As she walked, she noticed a lot of people congregating towards an open area beyond the strip of all the rides and games, and she quickly realized that they were likely waiting for the fireworks show to start.

And so, with nothing better to do, she wandered over to that area herself and sat down in the grass, looking up at the beautiful sky, awaiting the magic to begin.

* * *

Several minutes passed. Amy had drawn her knees to her chest, hugging her legs. The sky was now a deep shade of blue, and as she stared up at the vast openness, she found herself feeling small and insignificant. This day hadn't gone at all as she'd hoped. No matter how hard she tried not to, she always managed to build up her expectations, only to have them crushed. Sheldon was not romantic, plain and simple. Yes, there had been moments in which he'd pleasantly surprised her, leaving her stunned and breathless—that wonderful, perfect kiss on the train, certainly—but, all in all, he wasn't the type of man who was willing to go out of his way to sweep her off her feet with some grand romantic gesture, and she knew she had to accept that.

"What are you doing sitting on the ground?"

Her heart stilled.

"Sheldon," she said in surprise, watching as he stooped down to take a seat beside her.

"Here," he said.

He handed her a small plush monkey cradling a banana in its arms, and she tentatively took it from him, staring at its red knit smile and wisps of fuzzy hair atop its head. Warmth instantaneously filled her, bursting in her stomach, causing a smile to break out over her face. She gave it a soft squeeze.

"So, which game did you finally win?" she asked.

Sheldon's eyes fell to the ground. "As it turns out, I excel not at games of skill, but of chance," he said, glancing back up at her. "I was prepared to argue with the game attendant that promoting gambling in children is highly irresponsible, and to prove my point, I decided to play. I chose a random color, she spun the wheel, and, well… I suppose I got lucky."

Amy smirked softly, looking back down at the stuffed monkey. She touched its hair, running her fingers through it. "Well, that's sweet that you won this for me, but I hope you realize that you didn't have to do that. All I wanted to do today was spend time with you."

"I know," Sheldon said, and he paused. "I completely ruined my intentions for today. I wanted to prove to you that I could be openly affectionate, because I knew that's what you wanted, but—"

"Wait, what?" Amy asked, letting her legs slide down to lie flat on the ground. "When did I ever say I wanted you to be more affectionate?"

"You're kidding, right?" Sheldon asked, but Amy only stared at him. "Do you really think I didn't notice the way you rolled your eyes after Koothrappali made that 'lovey-dovey' comment? You were like this."

And he rolled his eyes so dramatically that, if Amy hadn't suddenly felt so mortified, she would have found it amusing.

"I—" she sputtered, feeling her face grow hot. She shook her head. "Since when are you able to read facial cues?"

"If that wasn't indicative enough, you also blatantly said that we're the least affectionate couple there is."

"Because we _are!"_ Amy said in a sudden rush of anger. "I can count on one hand the amount of times we've kissed in the last three years."

"Well, that's not _my_ fault," Sheldon said.

_"What?_ Of course it is! You know what, just forget it," Amy said, officially fed up. She started to get to her feet, but Sheldon caught her by the wrist, tugging her back down beside him. "Sheldon—"

He planted his lips on hers, and she froze at the abrupt sensation of his mouth roughly pressing against hers. She started moving her lips as well, and the tension between the two of them began to melt away. The kiss slowed down, growing softer, more intimate. Sheldon lifted his hand and cupped Amy's cheek, while she tightly squeezed the stuffed animal in her hands, feeling like her heart was about to burst with euphoria.

Sheldon pulled away with a rough smack of the lips. He panted hard, staring at her with half-lidded eyes as he said, "I—still owe you a Ferris wheel ride."

"It can wait," Amy said, and dove in for another kiss.

* * *

"I'm really worried about Amy," Penny said after experiencing quite the awkward Ferris wheel ride with Leonard and Raj. "You think she found Sheldon? Should we call her?"

They were all walking together to find a better spot to watch the fireworks. Leonard wrapped his arm around Penny's shoulders.

"I'm sure they're—oh my _GOD,"_ he choked, his eyes having wandered to catch sight of something he _never_ thought he'd see:

Sheldon and Amy, making out in the grass.

"What?" Penny asked, looking in the same direction, but Leonard quickly pulled her forward.

"Nothing, I—I'm sure they're fine," he said.

"How can you be sure?" Penny asked. "They're going to miss the fireworks."

"Trust me, they're not missing _any_ fireworks," Leonard said.


End file.
